Exercising apparatus and toy



July 14, 1964 PACUK 3,140,869

EXERCISING APPARATUS AND TOY Filed Feb. 1, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR j g-rm PPAcuH j mm 4 ATTORNEYS July 14, 1964 P. P. PACUK 3,140,869

EXERCISING APPARATUS AND TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 1 1965 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,140,869 EXERCHSlNG APPARATUS AND TOY Peter P. Paculr, 2355 Cedar Shores Circle, Jacksonville 10, Fla. Filed Feb. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 256,201 Claims. (Cl. 272-55) The present invention relates to an exercising apparatus and toy which is designed to be used for physiotherapeutic purposes by younger children.

A general object of the invention is to provide a toy and exercising apparatus which may be used by either normal or physically handicapped children and in which motion is imparted to the device by movement of both the hands and the feet.

Another object of the invention is to provide an exercising apparatus and toy to which motion is imparted to the apparatus by a rider or occupant of a seat component of the toy.

Another object is to provide an apparatus that is capable of being ridden by children having muscular inadequacies in the areas of their legs and which enables movement of the legs of the rider to be employed for imparting motion to the apparatus as well as movement of the arm.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a isometric view of an appartaus or toy embodying certain concepts of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational View of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as seen in a neutral position from its left side, another position assumed by the apparatus during its use eing shown in the figure in broken lines.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a fragment of an apparatus or toy similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 showing a modified linkage mechanism used for support of the seat and which imparts a somewhat difierent motion to the seat when the apparatus is in use as compared to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

With particular reference to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the exercising apparatus or toy is designated at 9, and includes a base frame component on which the other components of the apparatus are carried. Frame 19 has a standard '11 at its rear end 30, and the rest of the frame 10 in front thereof is adapted to rest on the ground. The main lever 12 of the apparatus is pivotally supported on the standard 11 and it and any load on the long leg of the lever is held in balance by a spring mechanism, designated at 13. Movement is imparted to the apparatus through a control lever 14 which is carried at the front end 45 of the main lever 12, and which is connected to the base frame 10 through an operating link or bar component 15 of the apparatus. The seat 16 for the rider of the apparatus is supported above lever 12 on a linkage mechanism 19 and in a manner such that the weight of the rider or seat occupant imposes a moment of force upon the main lever 12 which tends to pivot the long leg of the lever downwardly. Mechanism 19 in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a link component 13 on which the seat is mounted and which is hinged for swinging movement of the seat relative to a pivot in front of the seat. Mechanism 19 has another link component, designated at 17, which transmits the weight of the seat component to the operating bar 15 and which is pivotally connected to component 18 and also to the operating bar 15.

Base 10 includes a pair of elongated tubular members 20 and 21. The front end sections 22, 23 of these mem- "ice bers 20, 21 are bent outwardly of the center portion 26 of the base and in opposite lateral directions so as to form front legs 24, 25 that prevent the apparatus from tipping sideways. The rear ends sections 27, 23 of members 20, 21 are bent to extends upwardly and slightly rearwardly, and form a rearwardly inclined bifurcated standard 11 at the rear end 39 of the base. End sections 27 and 28 are spaced apart, and are adapted to receive the main lever 12 of the device therebetween. Members 26, 21 are spaced apart at the front 32 of the base by a tubular spacer 31 and are rigidly connected thereat by a nut and bolt 33 that extends through and interconnects the members and spacer 31 thereat. An elongated transversely extending tubular member 34 is provided at the rear end 31) of the base. Member 34 is rigidly connected to members 20, 21 by nuts and bolts, such as at 37, and forms the rear legs 35, 36 of the base. These legs 35, 36 extends laterally of members 211, 21 and also serve to prevent sideways tipping of the apparatus.

The main lever 12 of the apparatus 9 extends through the space between the legs of the standard 11, and is pivotally connected to the upper end 40 of the standard by pivot bolt 41. These legs are formed by the ends 27, 28 of members 26, 21 and bolt 41 forms the fulcrum of lever 12. The rear or short leg 42 of lever 12 extends rearwardly of the standard 11, and the length is bent downwardly in the illustrated embodiment in the form of an arc, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The lower end 43 of leg 42 is connected to spring mechanism 13. The long leg 44 of the lever is adapted to swing about its fulcrum in a generally vertical plane, and inclines upwardly and forwardly from fulcrum 41 above the center portion 26 of the base in the balanced position 46 shown in FIGS. 1. and 2.

Mechanism 13 cooperates through the short leg 42 to balance the load on the long leg 44 of the lever 12, and the components of the apparatus are seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 in a neutral position assumed thereby when the seat 16 is unoccupied. When seat 16 is occupied, it is apparent that the weight of the occupant imposes a moment of force on the long leg 44 of the lever which tends to pivot the leg downwardly about pivot bolt 41. Mechanism 13 is adapted to cooperate through the short leg 42 of the lever in counterbalancing such a moment so that the occupant is supported on the apparatus above the center portion 26 of the main frame and at a suitable neutral position under the counterbalancing influence of the mechanism 13. Mechanism 13 includes a pair of springs 48, 49. The rear ends 50, 51 of springs 48, 49 are bent to form eyelets thereat and are connected to the end 43 of the short leg 42 by a nut and bolt designated at 52. Bolt 52 passes through the eyelets and through a suitable hole at the end 43 of leg 42. The opposite ends 53, 54 of springs 48, 49 are also bent in the form of eyelets. Spring 43 is connected to the left rear leg 36 of the base 11) at a point which is laterally offset from member 21, and for purposes of the connection, leg 36 is provided with hook elements 55 which are laterally spaced from one another and mounted on the leg for receiving the eyelet of spring 48. The right spring 49 of the apparatus is similarly connected to the right rear leg 35 of the base, laterally spaced hooks 56 being also provided on leg 35 for receiving the eyelet of the spring. It is deemed apparent that by suitable choice of the hooks 55, 56 employed in connecting the springs 48, 49 to the base 10 that the tension of the springs can be varied to permit adjustment of the mechanism 13 to accommodate the weights of different users of the apparatus.

Control lever 14 is carried at the front end 45 of the main lever 12 and in front of seat 16. It is further located spacedly forward of the fulcrum 41 of lever 12, and includes a pair of elongated tubular members 59, 60

that are spaced apart by and at the front end 45 of the leg 44. These member 59, 60 are pivotally connected to the end 45 of the leg 44 by pivot bolt 61. Bolt 61 pivotally connects lever 14 and lever 12 between the handles and footrests of the former, and serves as the fulcrum for the control lever 14. Member 59, 60 in the illustrated embodiment are so bent at the fulcrum 61 that the upper and lower legs 67, 66 of lever 14 meet thereat at an obtuse angle, as seen in the drawings. Lever 14 is adapted to be oscillated back and forth by the occupant of seat 16. In this respect, the upper end sections 62, 63 of members 59, 60 are bent in opposite lateral directions and serve as handles which may be grasped by the occupant of the seat 16. The lower end sections 64, 65 of member 59, 60 are also bent in opposite lateral directions and serve as foot rests for the occupant and through which motion can be imparted to the apparatus by leg movement of the seat occupant.

The depending leg 66 of lever 14 is pivotally connected by a pivot bolt 69, disposed between fulcrum 61 and the footrests to the front end 68 of the control or operating bar 15. Bar 15 links the control lever 14 and the base of the device.

Bar is generally located beneath the forward extending leg 44 of the main lever 12 and is connected at its rear end 70 to the standard 11 of the base by pivot element 71. For reasons of this link 15 between the control lever 14 and base 10, pivotal movement of the control lever 14 is resisted when the occupant of the seat 16 pulls on the handles 59, 60 and/or pushes on the footrests 64, 65. The net efifect of such a push or pull is to force the main lever 12 of the device to pivot downwardly about its fulcrum 41 against the balancing forces of mechanism 13, and into a lower position such as that shown by the dotted line portion 72 of FIG. 2. Thereafter, when the rider releases the forces applied to the lever 14, mechanism 13 forces the leg to return to the neutral position assumed by the apparatus under the influence of the riders weight. On the other hand, when the. seat occupant pushes on handles 59, 60 when lever 12 is balanced, link bar 15 resists the compressive force applied to it through the lower leg 66 of the control lever, and the net result of the occupants pushing action is to force the front leg 44 of the main lever upwardly of the neutral position. Thereafter the weight of the occupant causes the device to return to the neutral position when the forces applied to the control lever are released.

Seat 16 can be mounted to impose the weight of the occupant as a moment of force on the main lever 12 in various ways. In the illustration seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the seat 16 is mounted on linkage mechanism 19 in a manner such that the rider not only swings relative to the fulcrum 41 of lever 12 when movement is imparted to the apparatus, but also swings relative to a pivot carried at the front end 45 of the lever 12. This means for supporting the seat 16 above the main lever 12 enables the rider to secure a galloping sensation when the rider imparts movement to the control lever 14 and to the apparatus 9.

The linkage mechanism 19 for supporting the seat includes a generally horizontally extending link component 18 which connects the seat 16 to the main lever 12 and another link component 17 Which imparts the swinging movement to component 18 in response to changes in the position of the operating bar 15 relative to lever 12, as motion is imparted to the apparatus.

Seat 16 is mounted on top 73 of the rear end portion 74 of component 18. Component 18 permits the seat 16 to swing about a pivot which is offset from and in front of the seat 16 and which, in the illustration in FIGS. 1 and 2, is the fulcrum 61 of control lever 14. Movement about pivot 61 is imparted to link component 18 through the link component 17. Component 17 supports the weight of the seat occupant and transmits it to the control bar 15 between the opposite ends of the latter.

Link 18 includes a pair of like elongated elements 75, 76 that are bent downwardly at a slight angle at front end 77 of the component. These elements 75, 76 are connected to the front end 45 of the main lever 12 and to the control lever 14 by a common pivot bolt 61. As such, both the control lever 14 and the link component 18 are adapted to pivot about the axis of the bolt and relative to the main lever 12 when motion is imparted to the apparatus. The front ends 78, 79 of members 75, 76 are located at the opposite sides 80, 81 of the control lever 14, and extend more or less horizontally rearwardly thereof. Seat 16 is rigidly connected to the members 75, 76 by fastening elements 82, 83. These elements extend through the seat and through the rear end sections 84,

85 of members 75,76 therebelow.

The supporting link 17 includes a pair of transversely spaced elongated tubular members 87, 88 that straddle the main lever 12 and interconnect the rear end 74 of com ponent 18 and control bar 15. The lower ends 89, 90

of these members 87, 88 are disposed on opposite sides 91, 92 of the control bar 15, and are pivotally connected thereto by pivot bolt 93, as seen in FIG. 2. The upper ends 94, 95 of the members 87, 88 are disposed between the rear ends 85, 84 of the members 75, 76 and are pivotally connected thereto by pivot bolt 96.

By virtue of the arrangement, when the control lever 14 is caused to oscillate by the seat occupant, the main lever 12 rides up and down between parallel elements 87, 88 of the load supporting link component 17.

When the apparatus 9 is first placed in use, the springs 48, 49 of the spring mechanism 13 are connected to the rear legs 35, 36 of the frame 10 by placing the front eyelets 53, 54 of the springs in the hooks 55, 56 selected to provide a suitable neutral position for the user of the device. Thereafter, the occupant extends his legs and pushes against the footrests 65, 64 and simultaneously pulls against the handles 62, 63 to exert a strain on bar 15. This causes the long leg 44 of lever 12 to pivot downwardly about fulcrum 41, as seen in FIG. 2, and against the balancing forces exerted in the short leg 42 of the lever 12 by mechanism 13. As this happens, the front end 68 of bar 15 moves downwardly and relatively away from the main lever 12 and draws the supporting link 17 downwardly, thus permitting the seat to swing on link component 18 into a closer position to lever 12. The pivot 61 for component 18, of course, also moves down as lever 12 pivots into the position 72 shown in FIG. 2 so that the rider swings downwardly on seat 16 about pivot 41 and also downwardly about the swinging pivot 61 at the end 79 of arm 44. Upon releasing the forces applied to the control lever 14, spring mechanism 13 returns the occupant and the components of the apparatus 80 to the neutral position assumed by the device under the weight of the occupant.

FIG. 3 shows a fragment of another exercise apparatus which may be constructed in accord with the invention, and which uses an alternative arrangement for supporting the seat so that a variation in the ride is provided the occupant. The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 includes a main lever 103, a control lever 101, an operating bar 102, and a linkage mechanism 99 for supporting the seat above lever 103 and between the fulcrums for levers 101 and 103. It will be understood, of course, that operating bar 102 and lever 103 are pivotally connected to a base frame like that described with respect to the corresponding component of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and that a mechanism, such as previously described is also provided for balancing the main lever 103.

Control lever 101 includes elongated tubular members 107 and 108. The upper end sections 109, 110 of the members 107, 108 are bent in opposite lateral directions to form handles, at the upper end 114 of the lever. The bottom end section 111, 112 are similarly bent to form footrests at the lower end 113 of the control lever 101. Control lever 101 is pivotally connected to the front end 115 of the main lever 103 by pivot bolt 116. Bolt 116 serves as a fulcrum for lever 101 and the upper and lower legs 117, 118 of the lever 101 are adapted to oscillate relative to the fulcrum when motivated to do so by the occupant of seat 105. The front end 119 of the control bar 102 is pivotally connected to the control lever 101 at a point offset below the fulcrum 116 and above the footrests 111, 112 by means of pivot bolt 120.

The principal difference between the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 and that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 lies in the means employed for supporting the seat 105 on the device. Seat 105 is mounted on an end extension 121 of the weight supporting link component 104- of mechanism 99 as by means of bolts 122, 123. Bolts 122, 123 connect with a suitable bracket not shown but which is carried at the upper end of the component 104. Link component 104 includes elongated tubular members 125, 124 which are pivotally connected to the control bar 102 at their lower ends by means of pivot bolt 126. Component 104 supports the weight of the seat occupant and transmits the weight to the control bar 102. The rear end 127 of the other link component 106 of mechanism 99 extends between members 124, 125 above the main lever 103, and is pivotally connected to these members by pivot bolt 128. This connection is at a point which is offset below seat 105 as seen in FIG. 3. On the other hand, the front end 129 of link component 106 extends between members 107 and 108 of control lever 101, and is pivotally connected to the lever by means of pivot bolt 130. This pivot 130 is above the fulcrum 116 for lever 101, and accordingly, when the occupant of seat 105 pulls back on handles 109 and 110 and/or pushes on footrests 111, 112, link component 106 is drawn backwards in the direction of arrow 131. As such, this causes the seat supporting link com ponent 104 to pivot in the same general direction as arrow 131 about pivot 126. It is apparent from the prior illustration that when the upper leg 117 of the lever 101 is drawn back that lever 103 is forced downwardly toward the base (not shown) so as to swing the occupant of seat 105 downwardly about the pivot for lever 103. Thus, the occupant during this manipulation of lever 101 moves downwardly and also swings backwardly. The movement of the seat, of course, is reversed from that described when the spring mechanism (not shown) thereafter forces the lever 103 upwardly.

From the prior description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, it is apparent that the apparatus enables the legs and arms of an individual to be exercised while a pleasurable galloping type action is being derived by the seat occupant.

While only certain preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An exercise apparatus comprising a base frame having one portion adapted to rest on the ground and another portion extending thereabove, a lever component supported on said frame and having a vertically swingable leg portion, first pivot means serving as a fulcrum for said lever component pivotally connecting said lever component and the other portion of said frame, a control lever spaced from said first pivot means and carried by said leg portion, said control lever having handle means and foot rest means at its opposite respective ends, second pivot means between said handle means and said footrest means serving as a fulcrum for said control lever and pivotally connecting said control lever and said lever component, a link component below said leg portion interconnecting said control lever and said base frame, third pivot means below said second pivot means and between said footrest and said second pivot means connecting said link component and said control lever, fourth pivot means pivotally connecting said link component and said base frame, a seat between said first pivot means and said control lever and connected to one of said components for imposing a moment of force on and tending to pivot the leg portion of said lever component downwardly about its fulcrum under the influence of the weight of an occupant thereof, and spring means for counterbalancing said moment of force.

2. An exercise apparatus in accord with claim 1 wherein said spring means is adjustable.

3. An exercise apparatus comprising a base frame having one portion adapted to rest on the ground and another portion extending thereabove, a lever component supported on said frame and having a vertically swingable leg portion, first pivot means serving as a fulcrum for said lever component pivotally connecting said lever component and the other portion of said frame, a control lever spaced from said first pivot means and carried by said leg portion, said control lever having handle means and footrest means at its opposite respective ends, second pivot means between said handle means and said footrest means serving as a fulcrum for said control lever and pivotally connecting said control lever and said lever component, a link component below said leg portion interconnecting said control lever and said base frame, third pivot means below said second pivot means and between said footrest and said second pivot means connecting said link component and said control lever, fourth pivot means pivotally connecting said link component and said base frame, a seat, a linkage mechanism connected to the seat and supporting said seat above said lever component, said mechanism including a first link pivotally connected to said link component and a second link connected to said first link and pivotally connected to said lever component, said seat being supported by said mechanism between said first pivot means and said control lever, thereby to impose the weight of an occupant on said leg portion as a moment of force tending to pivot the leg portion downwardly about said first pivot means, and said apparatus further comprising spring means cooperating with said lever component for counterbalancing the moment of orce.

4. An exercise apparatus comprising a base frame having one portion adapted to rest on the ground and another portion extending thereabove, a lever component supported on said frame and having a vertically swingable leg portion, first pivot means serving as a fulcrum for said lever component pivotally connecting said lever component and the other portion of said frame, a control lever spaced from said first pivot means and carried by said leg portion, said control lever having handle means and footrest means at its opposite respective ends, second pivot means between said handle means and said footrest means serving as a fulcrum for said control lever and pivotally connecting said control lever and said lever component, a link component below said leg portion interconnecting said control lever and said base frame, third pivot means below said second pivot means and between said footrest and said second pivot means connecting said link component and said control lever, fourth pivot means pivotally connecting said link component and said base frame, a seat, a linkage mechanism connected to the seat and supporting said seat upon said lever component, said mechanism including a first link pivotally connected to said link component and a second link connected to said first link and pivotally connected to said control lever, said seat being supported by said mechanism between said first pivot means and said control lever, thereby to impose the weight of an occupant on said leg portion as a moment of force tending to pivotallyconnected to said control lever above said second pivot means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hayes Mar. 27, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Sept. 23, 1953 

1. AN EXERCISE APPARATUS COMPRISING A BASE FRAME HAVING ONE PORTION ADAPTED TO REST ON THE GROUND AND ANOTHER PORTION EXTENDING THEREABOVE, A LEVER COMPONENT SUPPORTED ON SAID FRAME AND HAVING A VERTICALLY SWINGABLE LEG PORTION, FIRST PIVOT MEANS SERVING AS A FULCRUM FOR SAID LEVER COMPONENT PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID LEVER COMPONENT AND THE OTHER PORTION OF SAID FRAME, A CONTROL LEVER SPACED FROM SAID FIRST PIVOT MEANS AND CARRIED BY SAID LEG PORTION, SAID CONTROL LEVER HAVING HANDLE MEANS AND FOOT REST MEANS AT ITS OPPOSITE RESPECTIVE ENDS, SECOND PIVOT MEANS BETWEEN SAID HANDLE MEANS AND SAID FOOTREST MEANS SERVING AS A FULCRUM FOR SAID CONTROL LEVER AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID CONTROL LEVER AND SAID LEVER COMPONENT, A LINK COMPONENT BELOW SAID LEG PORTION INTERCONNECTING SAID CONTROL LEVER AND SAID BASE FRAME, THIRD PIVOT MEANS BELOW SAID SECOND PIVOT MEANS AND BETWEEN SAID FOOTREST AND SAID SECOND PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING SAID LINK COMPONENT AND SAID CONTROL LEVER, FOURTH PIVOT MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID LINK COMPONENT AND SAID BASE FRAME, A SEAT BETWEEN SAID FIRST PIVOT MEANS AND SAID CONTROL LEVER AND CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID COMPONENTS FOR IMPOSING A MOMENT OF FORCE ON AND TENDING TO PIVOT THE LEG PORTION OF SAID LEVER COMPONENT DOWNWARDLY ABOUT ITS FULCRUM UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE WEIGHT OF AN OCCUPANT THEREOF, AND SPRING MEANS FOR COUNTERBALANCING SAID MOMENT OF FORCE. 